Paulina's Very Merry Unbirthday Party

Paulina's birthday party was last weekend & we had SUCH fun. Here are the invitations I made up (with lots of help from Miss P):

{ invitations created using scraps of pink paper & lots of ribbon }

I copied bits & pieces of the wording from the story & from websites I checked out. I scanned in the image of the White Rabbit from my old colouring book from when I was a little girl:

{one of the few items from my childhood which survived!! }

We attached tea bags to the invites so each guest could make themselves a cup in anticipation of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party to come:

{ making tea in Great Aunt Pauline's teacups }

{ something is brewing... }

My sister, Leah, & our fabulous nanny, Arlyn, helped me with the preparations. The party was held in our unfinished basement where the bar will be (one day....). And Paulina & Sebastian were great assistants as well.

{ Leah making cupcakes with Sweet P }

{ testing to make sure icing is not poisonous }

{ me & Sebsy prepping }

{ Leensie & Mama getting ready }

Soon we were ready for the arrival of our guests who were greeted with:

{ our welcome sign }

We are ready for our guests....

{ table settings }

{ take a bite }

{ eat me }

{ tea with the white rabbit }

And the guests arrive!!!

What a frabjous day! What uncommon nonsense was had by all!!!

Tea Party

We took the children to see Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Visually it was everything you could ask for: fantastical, fabulous, far over-the-top. The story-line was OK but the eye candy made up for whatever was lacking in spades (or should I say hearts??!!).

Ever since I was first read the story by my parents, I was fascinated by Alice & her Wonderland world. And tea... well, I've loved tea ever since I can remember.

{ Arthur Rackham's illustration }

Since the weekend I have been obsessing over garden tea parties. Paulina suggested that we have a Wonderland tea party for her birthday which made my heart leap. Let's hope she doesn't change her mind between now & mid-April or mummy will have to have a little temper tantrum of her own.

Couldn't you just imagine a bunch of little Alice-look-alikes gathered around a table like this one enjoying tea with some funky mini Mad Hatters? I could.

{ photo from Martha Stewart }

{ stack of Martha's teacups just waiting for a cup of lovely brew }

{ sugar cubes from The Secret Garden Tea Co. }

Could tea with sugar cubes like the ones above inspire a chandelier like this? Methinks so:

{ 1950s light fixture can be purchased from Gilt & Gloss }

Would a lovely old teapot like the one above inspire you to wallpaper with this:

{ wallpaper from Anthropologie }

Perhaps. And how about this photo:

I love the silver teapot redolent of another age, the Asian-inspired blue cups with double saucers & the rustic, well-used tray. I love the beat up trunk used as a coffee table. I love that there is a fancy-pants couch with a rolled arm nearby with an up-cycled sweater pillow on it. You could lounge back & read in that couch with the pillow behind your back. You could lounge with teacup in hand, and still have room for a friend at the other end. It looks like it might be a scary couch but really it's quite friendly. Friendly enough for tea. I like that.